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Andrew Michaels
- May 20, 2023
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A Baltimore City Circuit Court judge granted defense counsel’s motion for judgement of acquittal on May 19 before closing arguments were heard in the homicide trial of defendant Karl Wallace.
The 35-year-old defendant, who was represented by defense attorney Chris Purpura, was on trial for charges of first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, firearm possession with a felony conviction and having a handgun on his person in connection to the murder of 22-year-old Troy Gross on April 3, 2022. Wallace’s trial began on May 18, followed by his acquittal a day later.
Judge M. Brooke Murdock presided over the trial.
According to court documents, Wallace and his girlfriend were arguing at her home on the 2500 block of W. Patapsco Avenue. Gross, who was the defendant’s girlfriend’s son, was on the phone with his sister, heard the argument and went to his mother’s house, where he began arguing with Wallace.
Investigation by the Baltimore Police Department found that Wallace fired several gunshots at Gross who then returned fire.